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Click to see a rundown of 2010's Nashville music milestones (this image of Kings of Leon starting off 2010 as Grammy winners: Dan MacMedan/USA Today).

Over his 21 years as a Nashville resident, Roger Alan Nichols has, like many who work in the music industry, watched the city evolve as a cradle of not just country music but of rock and pop as well. But the record producer, songwriter and guitarist never saw anything like 2010.

“This has been a landmark year,” he said.

Indeed, a host of industry insiders and observers agree that in 2010, Nashville music roared. Its records and artists captivated mass audiences across several genres, dominated awards and headlines and changed perceptions of the city in a way that could reverberate in coming years.

A glance at just some of the highlights of the surge read like a who’s who of pop culture. Local rockers Kings of Leon sold an estimated two million copies worldwide of its new album, Come Around Sundown. Nashville-bred Ke$ha saw her singles “TiK ToK” and “We R Who We R” top Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, and her songs were downloaded more than 10 million times. Franklin’s pop-punk band Paramore landed a No. 2 album with brand new eyes, and its lead singer, Hayley Williams, received a Grammy nomination for her collaboration with B.o.B. and Eminem on “Airplanes.” Taylor Swift’sSpeak Now notched the biggest debut week in sales since 2005, and her Fearless won a Grammy all-genre album of the year prize. Lady Antebellum’s single “Need You Now” crossed over from the country world to top adult contemporary charts, and the album of the same name sold three million copies.

In addition, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney of The Black Keys moved from Ohio, joining the growing number of major rock performers who’ve decided in recent years to make Nashville their home, and Jack White’s label Third Man Records continued to grow as a dynamic influence in indie rock.

She came here in 1988 on a lark. She wound up with a publishing deal, a record deal and a career in music. In 2009 she stayed here on a lark, rather then going through with a planned trip to visit friends in Washington state. She wound up using her extra Music City time to collaborate with producer Neilson Hubbard and make an album called Wreck Your Wheels.

“It was the first time I’ve made a record where there wasn’t a label involved,” said Richey.

She lives in London now, but will return to Nashville for a concert on Wednesday, Oct. 27 at Belcourt Theatre. “We could do whatever we wanted to, with no expectations.”

The album — a gentle, melodic, layered pop affair that features Richey’s songwriting collaborations with Mando Saenz, Will Kimbrough and Pat McLaughlin — was eventually licensed by distribution company Thirty Tigers.Continue reading →

The band hasn't shared a track list or first single yet. They're currently in the middle of a big-time U.S. tour -- in two weeks, they'll the headline the Outside Lands Music & Arts festival in San Francisco.

When Kings of Leon frontman Caleb Followill sings “I could use somebody, someone like you” on his band’s 2008 recording of “Use Somebody,” his voice sounds steeped in loneliness. A year and half later, his sentiment has made a connection with millions of people from all corners of the globe, and seemingly, all walks of life.

“Use Somebody” -- which has earned the Nashville rock band four Grammy nominations this year, including record and song of the year -- is more than just a triumph for the band and for Nashville’s non-country musical output. It’s one of a handful of songs in the last decade that have defied genres, formats and demographics, topping numerous charts before hitting No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 40 chart last September.

In turn, the song has inspired a sea of cover versions, both by pop music’s biggest names and lesser-knowns on YouTube. Even rap superstar Jay-Z is a fan, declaring the rock star’s lament his “number one favorite” song of the year in an interview with The Village Voice earlier this month.